Access Group founder agrees to plead guilty in two-year college case

A Jasper businessman has agreed to plead guilty in an ongoing criminal investigation of Alabama's two-year college system, admitting in a federal court filing today that he gave more than $270,000 to former Chancellor Roy Johnson, his family and a Johnson friend in exchange for college contracts.

Winston Hayes, the founder of Access Group software company, agreed to plead guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the agreement filed today in Birmingham. Hayes also agreed to pay more than $5 million from the kickback scheme he outlined for prosecutors that produced more than $14 million in college contracts for his company.

Hayes' admitted in the plea agreement that he paid Johnson $124,400 to cover some of the costs of Johnson's new Opelika house; another $23,850 for a sound system in Johnson's house; and more than $80,000 in payments to Johnson's daughter and son-in-law.

The plea agreement also states that Hayes submitted bogus invoices to Southern Union State Community College in Opelika, where Johnson served as president before being named system chancellor in 2002. Hayes received $48,000 from Southern Union and used $24,418 to help a former college administrator with whom Johnson had "an intimate relationship" buy early state retirement, the plea agreement states.

Hayes also admitted to paying Johnson's son $19,600 for work he never did, according to the court filing.

Hayes, 64, faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering count and up to 10 years for bribery. Hayes' company received contracts from nearly all of Alabama's two-year colleges, often at Johnson's urging, court records show.

Several others also have agreed to plead guilty in the federal investigation of the college system, including an Opelika businessman who said he paid kickbacks to Johnson and a legislator who resigned his seat as part of his plea agreement.